If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Comment

Linux port and DRM-free options confirmed? I believe I would like a poster, Mr. Schafer.

As much as this project falls short of my ideal, it's also very much a step in the right direction. More so than Humble Bundle, to which I've already contributed more than I'm contributing to this. And I like to think that I at least try to not be a hypocritical asshole, even if I don't always succeed.

Comment

What I don't understand about most of these software/music/movie/etc. Kickstarter projects is that fans/prospective users ostensibly pay to get it made, but then it's usually still proprietary payware when it comes out,

Contributors who give more than a pittance generally get a free copy of the games through these projects. I'll be getting a free copy of Pixel Sand for instance, and a free book from the OOTS kickstarter.

Also keep in mind that the cost of these games when they're released are generally well below "industry standard" game costs. Even if you only kick in $5, you'll help ensure that a $20 game that you would have probably happily spent $30 on will come out. Assuming you're a normal human being who pays for entertainment and doesn't give two shits about Software Freedom, that's still a "good deal" if you look at it that way.

Fans fund = developer beholden to themselves

The absolute last thing you want is to be "beholden" to fans. "Fans" are not software developers. They are not game designers. They are not artists or musicians. They are largely a bunch of otherwise nice people who are raving idiots when given any kind of direct control over a product.

You certainly can't imply that any FOSS project is beholden to any user, donation or not, either. Torvalds doesn't give a crap what you think about the Linux kernel unless you can back up some criticism with working well-written code, for example. Likewise, the GNOME developers are off doing their thing completely indifferent to the opinions of any user who disagrees with them (even ones like me who have donated to the GNOME Foundation in the past).

That said, if you disagree with what one of these kickstarter projects is doing, just don't donate. That's where you control comes in. If you don't want to fund a proprietary game, then don't ****ing fund a proprietary game. Simple as that. If you think a game is cool but want it to be FOSS, politely inform the developer that you and others would donate kickstarter funds only if the project is open sourced. Offer some large donation to liberate the source and (if a deal is struck) open your own kickstarter for that amount.

Comment

That said, if you disagree with what one of these kickstarter projects is doing, just don't donate. That's where you control comes in. If you don't want to fund a proprietary game, then don't ****ing fund a proprietary game. Simple as that.

This all sounds very reasonable, but it's the trend I disagree with, not any particular project (as should be clear from my post above). We don't all get genuine opportunities to fund our dream project.